Friday, 31 August 2012

Duxford continues to be operational for private aircraft, but it is now also
the home to some of the important elements of the Imperial War Museum including
Air Space, telling the story of British and Commonwealth aviation, the American
Air Museum in Britain and the exhibition of Land Warfare. Regular displays of
vintage aircraft take place throughout the summer.

The thrilling story of Britain's premier fighter station
in action from the Great War to the present day. The great fighter base
at Duxford, Cambridgeshire, was founded in 1919 as a training station.
It became an active base for fighters protecting London in 1923. By 1930
it was expected that any invasion of Britain by Germany would come over
the flat beaches of East Anglia, so Duxford was uprated to be a key
link in the defensive system. When the Battle of Britain broke out in
1940 Duxford was the base for Douglas Bader and his "Duxford Big Wing"
of 60 Spitfires and Hurricanes. Time and again Bader and his men went up
to fight the vast swarms of German aircraft heading for London and more
than once were almost all that stood between Hitler and outright
victory. In 1943 Duxford was handed to the USAAF to serve as a base for
fighters escorting daylight bombing raids. Fighers based at Duxford flew
all the way to Berlin and back. After the war, Duxford remained a
fighter base until 1961. Thereafter it has served as a film studio,
flying club and most recently as the home for the Imperial War Museum's
aircraft collection. This book takes the reader on a thrilling journey
through the history of Britain's premier figher base - RAF Duxford.

Thursday, 30 August 2012

In mid-1940 the future Air Vice-Marshal Johnny Johnson was a young Pilot
Officer at Duxford with 19 Squadron. He was deemed to be too inexperienced for
operations and was posted to 616 Squadron at Coltishall to gain more
experience. He went on to become the RAF’s highest scoring pilot.

The thrilling story of Britain's premier fighter station
in action from the Great War to the present day. The great fighter base
at Duxford, Cambridgeshire, was founded in 1919 as a training station.
It became an active base for fighters protecting London in 1923. By 1930
it was expected that any invasion of Britain by Germany would come over
the flat beaches of East Anglia, so Duxford was uprated to be a key
link in the defensive system. When the Battle of Britain broke out in
1940 Duxford was the base for Douglas Bader and his "Duxford Big Wing"
of 60 Spitfires and Hurricanes. Time and again Bader and his men went up
to fight the vast swarms of German aircraft heading for London and more
than once were almost all that stood between Hitler and outright
victory. In 1943 Duxford was handed to the USAAF to serve as a base for
fighters escorting daylight bombing raids. Fighers based at Duxford flew
all the way to Berlin and back. After the war, Duxford remained a
fighter base until 1961. Thereafter it has served as a film studio,
flying club and most recently as the home for the Imperial War Museum's
aircraft collection. This book takes the reader on a thrilling journey
through the history of Britain's premier figher base - RAF Duxford.